Service of Prayer for Peace in Palestine and Israel

This is the week of International Church Action for Peace in Palestine and Israel. An ecumenical service of prayer was held Sunday afternoon at the Benedictine St. Stephen's Basilica on Nablus Road in East Jerusalem. The readings, in Arabic and English, were Micah 6: 6 -8, Psalm 121, Philippians 4: 6 - 9, and Matthew 5: 1 - 12.

The Prayer of Penitence spoken by all echoed the sense in the Hindu tradition that the divine will is for balance. When that balance is distrupted, life itself is disrupted:

God, so much conflict is within ourselves.
Our Jealousy, our pride, our passion, our power-seeking and our greed
all disturb the balance of life and undermine the harmony of society.

Forgive us.

Lead us by your Spirit
that in our lives love may go hand in hand with peace
so filling our community with joy.


And this prayer, spoken at the close of the service launched the week of International Church Action for Peace in Palestine and Israel:

Holy Spirit, give us thet spiritual fruit of peace;
the peace that cares for the wellbeing of the people;
the peace that rebukes injustice and violence;
the peace that seeks freedom for all;
the peace that heals the hurts of the past;
the peace that enables for today and releases the potential for tomorrow;
the peace that is new life in Christ.

Amen.